The evidence of that can be seen in the award winners from an ISON photo contest sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Division of Astronomical Sciences, Astronomy magazine and Discover magazine.

Skywatchers hoped the comet would turn into a stunner after last November's close encounter with the sun, but instead it fizzled away to nearly nothing. Almost all of the pictures entered in the contest were taken before the encounter.

British photographer Damian Peach won first place in the "Through-the-Scope" category for his photo of Comet ISON, titled "Broom Star."Damian Peach / NSF